Composition of subcutaneous adipose tissue of dry-cured pork forelegs as affected by desalting and boiling: The effects of vacuum-packaging

The effects of desalting and boiling, with or without vacuum-packaging, on the composition of the subcutaneous adipose tissue of dry-cured pork forelegs were investigated. The adipose tissue contained 7.1% water and 91.0% lipids. The main fatty acids in glycerides (about 89% of total lipids) were oleic (39.6%), palmitic (23.9%), linoleic (13.7%) and stearic (12.6%) acids. The main fatty acids in free fatty acids (about 11% of total lipids) were oleic (36.0%), linoleic (28.4%) and palmitic (13.1%). The culinary treatment (desalting and boiling) caused significant decreases in dry matter and lipid contents. These decreases were not as great in vacuum-packaged samples because the lipid losses were prevented during the boiling stage. No significant changes in lipid fraction proportions (glycerides and free fatty acids) were observed. The samples boiled with vacuum-packaging showed higher contents of polyunsaturated fatty acids than did the samples boiled without vacuum-packaging.